Knowing the Word is for our benefit and reaches its full potential only when we receive it as God intended; not as we desire it. Quoting scriptures as stated, “is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in Righteousness” - 2 Tim. 3:16. The key admonition from Paul is for instruction. Instructions are for the directing of use. This means when we rightly divide the Word we then use it as it was created to be used. For Righteousness; including but not limited to the obvious things like a good sermon or for comfort and encouragement but as Jesus stated, “I did not come to bring peace but a sword (to create dissension or controversy between those for Me and those against Me)” - Matt. 10:34-36. The Word is the sword that Jesus emulated and we have been given the same charge. We can only start at the beginning of the Word and build from there through the Gospels, Acts and especially Paul’s letters right into the Book of Revelations where it is Jesus; the Word is given the right as stated, “Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has triumphed to open the scroll and its seven seals”. Jesus’ affirmation is not the slain Lamb but the triumphed Lion who has been given the authority to declare and pronounce the judgments on the Earth. This is only because of His perfected love He displayed as required by God while on Earth. Jesus in His ministry used a sword of Words that manifested miracles and disengaged His enemies for approximately 1238 days, based on the average Hebrew calendar and 1 day of sheathing this sword before His death. He entered as the Word and lived by the Word and revealed God’s Glory with the Word and did actions by the Word; and obeyed as stated “My son, attend to my Words; incline your ear to My sayings; let them not depart from your eyes and keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh and keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” - Prob. 4:22-23.

Flush it Out! - When the Word is in the heart, then there is Power over the darkness.

Mar. 21, 2018.

Knowing the Word.

When we correlate and find the cohesion with what Jesus said and did, and see this same mindset through Paul’s Epistles. The simple matter of our lives is reduced to a single mantra of “what you sow, you reap”. That we have a definitive part in our destiny and with controlled Righteous words with a Righteous Word disposition. We will not be tossed about by the world’s trials and tribulations, being no more than a weak and mild; but as Christian overcomers that the rest of the world cannot ignore. We would be Victorious for God’s Glory! Through the Gospels; Jesus uses several metaphors to impress upon us this Victorious nature that we should demonstrate to the world. That we are the light of the world - Matt. 5:14; a candle is not hidden - Lk. 11:33; the smallest mustard seed grows into a large tree and puts out great branches to provide shade and shelter - Mk. 4:32; and greater things will we do than He did - Jn. 14:12. These are not Words of submission, fear or timidity but they are not only Words of inspiration but are practical applications that Christians are called to. Now, I must apologize to all the Faithful Body that are engaged in demonstrating God’s Glory but each of us are mirrors of where we as the Body of Christ are in revealing Jesus and God to a dying world. I ask us the Body to consider areas that are not exactly complete when compared to Jesus’ life, character, attitude, and attributes.

Spiritual Awakening

Through the Bible, the Power of God’s Glory resonated even without the physical presence of the Anointed person. In the Old Testament, a dead man was resurrected after being placed in Elisha’s grave stating, “The man touched the bones of Elisha and he was revived and stood up on his feet” - 2 Kings 13:21. In the New Testament, Paul’s handkerchief healed those with diseases and even casted out evil spirits as stated, “they were brought to the sick, and the diseases left them and evil spirits went out of them” - Acts 19:12. In both cases, it was the Power that remained and resided in inanimate objects that produced the miracles. How is that possible? Not the miracles which obviously is God’s Glory but rather what made it possible that these men and others became the conduit for God’s Glorious Power to be exposed by physical contact and in some cases by their mere presence. The answer is the Word as stated, “For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow” - Heb. 4:12.

Before the name Jesus is even prophesied, the Spirit of the Word existed. It embodies and literally is God’s Power. God spoke and it became - Gen. 1:3; God has placed His Word above His name - Ps. 138:2; Mary receives her immaculate concept by receiving the Word - Lk. 1:38; and the Word became flesh - Jn. 1:14. The Power and Glory of God is in the Word metaphysically, practically as well as Spiritually. It is the Spiritually spoken Word that manifested in the form we know as Jesus, the Son of Man who died on the cross and the Son of God now sitting at the right hand of God. Both are intricately the same yet Faithfully linear in ascension as the Word. The Word was lowered and raised up to a higher standard, that Jesus currently embodies and that we who are Faithful is being changed and will be transformed when Jesus, the Word returns. We cannot do without the Word in both its symbolism and the very core of its Righteous nature physically and Spiritually.

Now, without drifting too far in theological dissertations; in simple terms, the Word is God’s Power to be honored and used in every aspect of the Christian life. This is where religion and belief in the Faith part ways. The religious mind sees the academic nature of the Word’s manifestation in Jesus' life but Faith extends beyond tangibility and sees the action of the Word. The Word became flesh and not only dwelled among us but displayed action, Faith, and obedience to a higher authority that responds to; the Word! There is no recorded misspoken or flippant Word by Jesus and yet as stated, “We will be judged by our words” - Matt. 12:37. Jesus’ daily interactions with those around Him manifested God’s heart, decrees and sternness revealing His Righteousness and why He made the Word above His name. God’s integrity remains intact because of placing the Word above His name. That is why Jesus was never judged for His words because of the perfected love to God in His obedience and Faith. If Christian’s can come close to Jesus’ daily interactions with the world; your personal circles of influence, in Godly perfection; what a Righteous world it would be.

Without the Word, neither God nor we can frame anything. God's application of this is revealed in Genesis but also in us as stated, “Even the mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints (Christians). To whom God would make known what is the Riches of the Glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the Hope of Glory” - Col. 1:26-27. He is literally saying, “which is (the Word) in you”. Scientist have discovered a protein in us that binds, glues and frames our very being called laminin and it happens to be in the shape of a cross. God has hidden the mystery from the ages and generations right under our noses that represents the Word and is the Hope of Glory for all who receives it. God orchestrates Revelations for the right season. Of course, the world’s skeptics ridicule this but without Faith, laminin seems random and is an optical illusion but under the Word and Faith it only confirms which came first and that life is not some arbitrary, cosmic collision of randomness.

How many Christians truly know the Word? And if knowledge is power then why do many Christians suffer defeat? God states, “My people die because of the lack of knowledge” - Hos. 4:6. This is not about memorizing Bible verses and quoting them at every opportunity that presents itself. The knowledge God is referring to is the Word knowledge; not religious knowledge of the Word. Jesus distinguished this difference in His ministry and is acutely clear when some of His followers were unable to cast out the demon but He was able to, as stated, “Lord, why were we unable” - Matt. 17:19. To which, Jesus replies, “This kind requires prayer and fasting” - Matt. 17:21. Now, wait a minute! Fasting and prayer? These were Jews that practiced fasting and prayer under the Old Covenant before Jesus showed up, assuming they were devout Jews. But more than that, Jesus was able to cast out the demons without blinking an eye much less taking the time to fast and pray before addressing the demon. Some may say that was the Power of God working through Him and this became available to us after Jesus’ resurrection and the Holy Spirit was sent especially at Pentecost. This is a prime reason the Word’s Power is not received because of not only wrong but unrighteous thinking. For if God is omnipotent, then surely everything He orchestrates is purposefully done in the right season, time and are the building blocks for not only HIs Glory but for our benefit. For ultimately; a Righteous man, woman or child walking, talking and acting is a reflection of His Glory.

Jesus as a man did what most Christians never dare to even attempt. And that is to apply the Word. Just like the chicken and the egg; what came first? Jesus or the Word! Now, this may sound like semantics but then if we examine our Christian walk; it pales in comparison to Jesus’ and some of the more renowned apostles like Paul and others. It starts with our comprehension of the Bible that requires the Spirit’s wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of it. For example; Paul talks about fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit and the five-fold ministries. For most churches and Christians they only receive and accept one or two from these different areas of the Spirit. Yet, Paul and others, especially Jesus the man demonstrated all of these areas of the Spirit. Jesus is keeping in line with God’s purpose to reveal His Glory through a man. Well, if God is whole and complete; then, Christians' ought to reveal that wholeness and completeness. This is Shalom and is God’s intent with the Word.

Jesus was not a statesman like Paul who often sought to convince others of their Blood earned worthiness. This is displayed in how he wrote his letters to the various churches and followers of Christ. Paul to some extent apologized for his stern and harsh words. Jesus did not! A brother in Christ recently told me of an incident where he became angry with someone who was really aggravating him to the point of hating that person and this embroiled into a possible fist fight. Now, this brother did the right thing and said he shed tears after because he got angry because Jesus was a gentle person. Yet, if we really rightly divide the Word; that is look at Jesus’ three and a half year ministry and compared Jesus’ disposition of His expressed feelings. We can only come to the conclusion; He was more bold, fearless, firm and stern than He was gentle, compassionate and submissive. Are we rightly dividing, understanding and appreciating His life; the Word, or are we more identifying with aspects of His life that bring us comfort and redemption? The symbol and active ingredient of redemption is His Blood which is established and cannot be altered even by God because by His Word and the Word’s eternal sacrifice. Jesus was in His ministry the epitome of God’s perfect love to us and also this is what we are charged by Jesus to attain stating, “Be perfect as the Father is” - Matt. 5:48. This perfection includes anger as defined and demonstrated by the Word. And Jesus looked at them in anger - Mk. 3:5; He drove them (in anger) out of the temple - Jn. 2:15 and let not anger make you sin - Ep. 4:26. Now, am I saying with should use anger all the time? No, but to say it is not the Word is to be unrighteous and to deny in whose image we are made in. For God has anger - Heb. 3:11 and He does not create junk. The Word is Spiritual and the Spirit obeys the Word.

If Jesus acted as the Father wanted Him to; then we who have died to our flesh ought to be in like manner and have no excuse when we allow the flesh to rule. This is where it becomes sin to allow anger to move you to feelings of hatred or any other sin nature. God is wise beyond our timeline and is why He has placed the two witnesses to our actions. The first is the Blood, the Word, which allows us to receive forgiveness from God; not Jesus, but who is given the judgment seat as stated; “we (Christians) will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” - 2 Cor. 5:10; and the second is the Holy Spirit, which is given to us for wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, not for academia but for the practical action as stated, “The Spirit will teach you” - Lk. 12:12; and “I will give you speech and wisdom that your adversaries cannot resist or contradict you” - Lk. 21:15. Jesus is the Word and the Holy Spirit is the conduit for the Word to guide us through the troubles, attacks, and torments of the world which are the devices of the devil. You notice, by the Spirit, we are taught to speak; take action and be proactive in all our daily interactions. The battle may be in evil spiritual high places but the application is Earthy. God gives us and demonstrates ingenious ways of how effective, essential and critical it is to know the Word; apply the Word and abide in the Word.

Even scientist today with all the advances in technology are coming to face with the one question that matters and puts everything into the only Righteous perspective. And that is; “what came first” which is the chicken or the egg question. That some form of creative force has to be in play behind the scenes of the obvious and all the obvious points to this creative force. In some circles, it is referred to as the glue that binds all things seen and unseen making the universe and the world as we know; to work, be sustaining and produce every aspect of itself. God protects and uses it and has made it the essential component that Faith demands and Faith is obedient to obey and all His promises stand on. This is the Word! It is what by Faith we believe that all things are as stated, “that the universe (worlds) are framed by the Word of God” - Heb. 11:3; and “He knows our frame” -Ps. 103:14.